Steam-engine.



PATENTED APR. 19, 1904.

2. P. HUMMEL.

STEAM ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

War/$2M zzzmrze! 1 02 1 5' PATENTED APR.19,1904.

I. P. HUMMEL.

STEAM ENGINE. APPLIUATION FILED JULY 16, 1903.

2 sums-SEEM 2.

10 MODEL.

r I I @AHOFQQJIS gifdessz Patented April 19, 1904.

UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANKLIN PIERCE HUMMEL, or BELLEVUE, OHIO.

STEAM-ENGINE.

srncrnrcnrron forming part of Letters m t No. 757,750, dated April 19, 1904.

Application filed July 16, 1903; Serial N6- 165,795. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN PIERCE HUM- MEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at ments in steam and other engines operable by a fluid under pressure, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of engine in which the pressure and the expansive force of steam may be utilized to better advantage than in engines of ordinary construction.

A further object of the invention is to pro? vide an engine in which both the cylinder and piston, or the cylinders and pistons of a duplex or compound engine, will he traveled in the same direction, but at differential speeds,

in order to allow the same quantity of steam.

toact more effectively than itwould in the case of a movable piston and stationary cylinder, such as are employed in engines of the ordinary type.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel form of valve-operating mechamsm adapted especially for use 1n connection with engines having movable cylinders and arranged and constructed in such manner as to compensate for the movement of the cylinder andpermit proper manipulation of the valve to govern the flow of steam to and from the cylinder.

With these and other objects in view, as

will more fully hereinafter appeanthe invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts herein described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and par ticularly pointed out in the appended claims,

it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of'the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of th advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is l a longitudinal sectional elevation of an engine constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same, partly in section, the parts being shown in the position assumed at half the outstroke. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a portion-of the mechanism with the parts in a different position from that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is alongitudinal sec- :tional elevation of the engine on the line i 4' of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference are-em ployed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying out the invention I employ a' pair of cylinders l and 2, containing, respectively, pistons 3 and 4, together with a main crank-shaft 5, to which both the cylinders and the pistons are connected, the several parts being mounted on asuitable supporting-frame 6, having bearings for the crank-shaft and crosshead guides and similar supports for the cylinders and the piston connections. The pistons 3 and i are connected, respectively, by rods 7 and 8 to cross-heads 9 and 10, adapted to suitable guideways 11 of the frame. The

cross-head 9 is connected by a rod 12 to a crank 13 on the main shaft, and the cross-head 10 is in similar manner connected to a crank 15 on said shaft. The two cranks are arranged at an angle to each other in order to preventthe engine stopping on a dead-center, and an angular distance between the two is preferably as slight will permit one or other, or both, of the pistons operating efl'ectively' to turn the crank-shaft past a center.

The frame of the engine is provided with guides 16 for the reception of blocks or crossiheads 1'7, carrying the two cylinders 1 and 2, and said cylinders are connected together by a single steam-chest 18, containing ordinary D-valves and provided with steam and eX- haust connections. On the main shaft are two eccentrics 20, the straps 21 of which are connected by rods 22 to pins or studs 23, projecting from the sides of the cylinders, the eccentrics andthe cranks being so arranged as to permit movement of both the pistons and the cylinders in the same direction, but

at different speeds, it being noted that the 31 will be about to open.

length of the cylinders is less than the stroke of the pistons, so that it is only necessary to move the cylinders for a distance equal to the distance between the length of such cylinder and the length of the stroke.

At the rear end of the steam-chest are two stuifing-boxes 24 and 25, through which respectively pass a steam-inlet pipe 26 and an exhaust-pipe 27, the pipes. beingstationary and supported in part by the frame, while the stuffing-boxes permit of the passage of steam to and from the chest with but little danger of leaking. The opposite sides of the steamchest are provided with the usual ports28 and 29, the ports 28 leading to the opposite ends of the cylinders and the ports 29 communicating with the exhaust; pipe 27. In the steam-chest are D-valves 30 and 31, adapted, respectively, to govern the flow of steam to and from the cylinders 1 and 2, and these valves are connected, respectively, by rods 33 and 34 to eccentric-straps 35 and- 36, surrounding eccentrics 37 and 38 on a crank portion 39 of the main shaft 5. The crank 39 is considerably shorter than the main cranks 13 and 15 and is disposed in an angular plane between the two cranks 13 and 15, so as to properly move the valves in accordance with the speed of movement of the cylinder, while the eccentrics 37 and 38 are arranged in differentangular positions, corresponding to the different angular positionsof the main cranks 13 and15.

The operation of the engine, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1 and the main crank-shaft revolving in the direction indicated by the arrow, the cylinder and cylinder-actuating eccentrics are at the limit of outstroke, while the crank 15 has completed the outstroke and is started on the return or instroke. As this time the crank 13 has not yet completed the outstroke, but will do so before the eccentrics have moved the cylin-' ders on the instroke to any material extent, there being sufficient space left in the end of the cylinder to permit the piston 3 to com-' plete its movement. At this time the valve 30 will be in the act of closing and the valve The positions of adjustment of the two eccentrics 37 and 38 will then determine the operative movement of the valves, and the latter may be held open during the whole or a portion of the instroke of the pistons and moved to exhaust from the outer ends of the cylinders and to admit steam to the inner ends of said cylinders at the completion of the instroke.

It will be observed that the relation of parts is such that the pistons will be traveled at a much greater rate of speed than the cylinders, so that the steam will not be allowed to expand to such an extent as it would with a is claimed is stationarycylinder, owing to the fact that the cylinder follows up the movement of the piston, while the superior force exercised by the cranks on the shaft over that which the cylinders under the influence of the same pressure can exercise on the shafts through their eccentrics will insure proper movement of the engine, especially if a balancing wheel or wheels be employed to keep up'the momentum of the main shaft.

Having thus'described the invention, What 1. In a steam-engine, a base-plate, a pair of parallel cylinders guided on the base-plate, a steam-chest disposed between the two cylinders and having suitable steam inlet and escape pipes, a pair of valves arranged in the steam-chest for governing the flow of steam therethrough to the cylinders, a main shaft,

pistons arranged in the cylinders, angularlydisposed cranks connected one to each of the pistons, eccentrics carried by the main shaft and operatively connected to the cylinders to impart movement to the cylinders in the same direction as the pistons, and means operable by the shaft for moving the valves.

2. In a steam-engine, a bed-plate, a pair of parallel cylinders guided thereon, asteamchest disposed between the two cylinders, a pair of valves arranged in the steam-chest for governing the flow of steam therethrough to the cylinders, pistons in said cylinders arranged to travel one slightly in advance of the other, a crank-shaft, angularly-disposed cranks carried by the shaft and connected one to each of the pistons, eccentrics mounted on the shaftsand connected to the cylinders, auxiliary cranks carried by the shafts and having crank-pins, and valveoperating eccentrics mounted on said crank-pins, substantially as specified. 3. In a steam-engine, a pair of connected cylinders, a single valve-chest for said cylinders, valves arranged in the chest, steam supply and exhaust pipes connected to the chest, a main shaft, cranks arranged at an angle to each other and connected to the respective pistons, eccentrics carried by the shaft and connected to the cylinders, a crank on the shaft, and eccentrics carried by the crank and connected to the respective valves.

4:. In a steam-engine, a frame having guideways, a pair of movable cylinders adapted to said guideways, a single steam-chest connect-- ing the cylinders, steam supply and exhaust pipes extending through stuffing-boxes to the steam-chest, valves disposed in the chest for governing the flow of steam to andfrom the respective cylinders, a main crank-shaft having hearings on the frame, cranks disposed at an angle to each other and connected to the respective pistons, eccentrics mounted on said shaft and connected to the cylinders, a crank In testimony that I claim theforegoing as carried by the shaft, and a pair of eccentrics my own 1 have hereto affixed my signature in carried by the crank and disposed at an angle the presence of two witnesses.

to each other corresponding to the angular re 7 FRANKLIN PIERCE lation of the piston -cranks, said eccentrics Witnesses: being connected to the respective valves, sub- J. P. VICKERY,

stantially as specified. J. YV. CONKLE. 

